Canada has a long whiskey tradition, shaped by vast grain-growing regions, pure water sources, and generations of distilling expertise. Canadian whiskey has evolved into a diverse category that includes bold craft whiskies, single malts, small-batch rye, and long-aged classics. Some Canadian whiskey producers operate century-old facilities, while others are newer craft producers using local grains and modern distillation approaches to redefine what Canadian whiskey can be.
The brands below reflect the range and depth of whiskey-making across the country.
Canadian Whiskey Brands
Forty Creek Distillery
Manufacturing Location: Grimsby, Ontario
Where to Buy: Liquor retailers
Key Details:
- Owned by the Campari Group since 2014
- Still made in Canada
Forty Creek is a leading whiskey producer in Canada, even if it is no longer Canadian-owned. Established in 1992, the distillery revitalised interest in Ontario-made e, introducing blends with richer body and more pronounced grain character than many mass-market brands. Forty Creek uses a distinctive production approach by fermenting and ageing corn, rye and barley whiskies separately before blending, allowing greater control over flavour.
Shelter Point Distillery
Manufacturing Location: Oyster River, British Columbia
Where to Buy: Liquor stores and online
Key Details:
- Family-owned farm distillery
- Produces single malt and grain whiskies
Shelter Point is an independent Canadian whiskey distillery on a third-generation family farm on Vancouver Island. All production takes place on-site, using spring water and barley grown on or near the farm. Shelter Point is best known for its single malt, which reflects coastal maturation conditions and slow, careful distillation. The distillery also produces grain whiskies, small-batch releases, and experimental cask finishes.
Glenora Distillers
Manufacturing Location: Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
Where to Buy: Online and liquor stores
Key Details:
- Canada’s first single-malt whiskey
- Cape Breton spring water and Scottish stills
Glenora Distillers is a landmark producer in Canadian whiskey, known for launching Glen Breton, Canada’s first single-malt whiskey. Established on Cape Breton Island, the distillery draws on both Scottish distilling traditions and local Nova Scotian ingredients, including pristine spring water and barley. Glen Breton whiskies are aged in American oak, developing subtle fruit, vanilla and oak notes characteristic of cool-climate maturation.
Alberta Distillers Limited (ADL)
Manufacturing Location: Calgary, Alberta
Where to Buy: Retailers across Canada
Key Details:
- Canada’s rye-whiskey specialist
- Founded in 1946
Alberta Distillers Limited is one of Canada’s premier rye distilleries, producing 100% rye whiskies using prairie-grown grain and glacier-fed Rocky Mountain water. Founded in 1946 and still Canadian-owned, ADL’s whiskies are known for spicy intensity, depth, and exceptional smoothness. Their flagship Alberta Premium Rye showcases traditional distilling methods, natural fermentation, and charred-barrel ageing that highlight rye’s characteristic warmth and spice.
Last Mountain Distillery
Manufacturing Location: Lumsden, Saskatchewan
Where to Buy: In stores and online
Key Details:
- Saskatchewan’s first micro-distillery
- Small-batch whiskies using prairie grains
Last Mountain Distillery is a family-owned craft distillery and the first micro-distillery in Saskatchewan. Located among the province’s extensive grain fields, the distillery uses locally grown grains to produce small-batch whiskies. Their whiskies include straight wheat, rye blends, and limited-edition cask finishes. Last Mountain emphasises handcrafted production, long fermentation times and careful barrel selection.
Two Brewers Whisky
Manufacturing Location: Whitehorse, Yukon
Where to Buy: Select Canadian retailers
Key Details:
- Created by Yukon Brewing
- Batch-style single-malt whiskies
Two Brewers is an award-winning whiskey brand produced by Yukon Brewing, making it one of Canada’s northernmost whiskey makers. The distillery specialises in single-malt whiskies released in numbered batches, each exploring a different style. The extreme northern climate contributes to unique maturation conditions, with temperature swings influencing barrel interaction, and Two Brewers whiskies are known for complexity, rich textures and inventive flavour development.
DEVINE Spirits
Manufacturing Location: Saanich Peninsula, British Columbia
Where to Buy: In stores
Key Details:
- Organic BC-grown grains
- Traditional single-malt methods
De Vine Spirits is a small, family-run distillery on Vancouver Island producing Beacon Hill Whisky: an organic, single-malt whiskey distilled using malted barley grown exclusively in British Columbia. The distillery follows traditional Scottish-inspired methods, including direct-fire stills and long fermentations that enhance flavour complexity. Beacon Hill whiskies typically feature notes of malt, fruit, and toasted oak, and are shaped by coastal ageing conditions.
Ironworks Distillery
Manufacturing Location: Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Where to Buy: Online and in stores
Key Details:
- Small-batch whiskey
- Local grains and maritime maturation
Ironworks Distillery produces small-batch whiskey in the UNESCO-designated town of Lunenburg, using locally grown grains and traditional distillation techniques. Ageing warehouses near the Atlantic coast allow maritime influences to shape the whiskey’s character. Ironworks whiskies emphasise smoothness, gentle spice and rounded malt notes, appealing to fans of approachable, craft-driven expressions.
Still Waters Distillery
Manufacturing Location: Concord, Ontario
Where to Buy: In stores and online
Key Details:
- Ontario craft whiskey pioneers
- Single malt and 100% rye expressions
Still Waters Distillery, founded in 2009, became one of Ontario’s first modern craft whiskey makers. Its Stalk & Barrel range includes Canadian single malts, 100% rye whiskies, and blended expressions, all produced in small batches with strict attention to quality. The distillery uses local grains and long ageing cycles to develop layered flavours that include cereal sweetness, dried fruit, and subtle spice. Stalk & Barrel represents the new wave of Canadian craft whiskey: innovative, regionally expressive and fully Canadian-owned.
